GE Push-Button in-Wall Countdown Timer Switch, On/Off, No Neutral Wire Needed, Ideal for Lights, Bathroom Fan, Exhaust Fans, Heaters, Wall Plate Included, 15318

This thing works just perfectly for this old house with no neutral wire. I'm using it to control a bathroom vent fan. Here are some things to know: 1) You do need to connect this exactly as the instructions say even when you have two black wires that aren't labeled properly as to which one is hot and which one leads to the load (light, fan, etc.) 2) The earth ground is required for operation and not just for safety! if you don't see a green wire, look for a naked copper wire which is probably connected to the wall box. You can attach the green wire either directly to the naked wire or screw the green wire to the wall box if the naked wire is screwed to it. 3) if you have two black wires, and don't know which one leads to the load, just try to guess based on where the wires are coming into the box. If you know the path through the walls to the load device then that will help. If you guess wrong, the switch won't work properly. In this case just shut off the circuit break and swap the black wires. After that it should work. 4) When you restore power, the switch might start up in the "on" state and your load (fan, light) might be running. Just wait a minute or less and it will shut off as soon as the capacitor in the switch charges up. Then wait a few more minutes and the switch should be working as expected. I think the switch probably uses a design like US Patent US5903139A. This charges a capacitor, not a battery, so should have a decently long lifetime. If you do have a neutral wire in your house (2 phase AC power) like most modern houses, then you're probably better off with a design that makes use of the neutral wire and the 2nd electrical phase to power itself. That will avoid the start up delay.

I bought two of these for my two bathroom ventilation fans because I've forgotten to turn them off every now and then (because they're whisper quiet) and end up wasting power for hours and hours at a time. I did not want anything too fancy or too high-tech. I just need a switch that is simple and easy to use and looks good. Before purchasing this, I compared with Woods 59007 (http://www.amazon.com/Woods-59007-Decora-30-15-10-5-30-Minute/dp/B002KS1DBU/ref=pd_sim_60_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FJHTTBV5NCTJ3RESSJ2), which is similar to this. The Woods has over 600 reviews with 4.5 stars overall, while this one only had 100+ reviews, but also with 4.5 stars overall. So, it seemed the Woods would have been the better choice just based on more reviews. However, let me share with you why I bought these GE timers over the Woods. - The wiring is much easier than the Woods. You only need to connect 3 wires instead of 4 on the Woods. Plus, you don't need the Neutral wire, as specified in the product description. If you need to connect 4 wires, it may be a bit more troublesome for those who are not familiar with electrical wiring. If you are replacing an existing power switch, some electrical boxes might not have a neutral wire, since most common basic wall switches only need 2 hot (black) and ground (green) wires, so then you might have to find other means to connect the neutral on the Woods. - This timer gives you a wider range of time options. The Woods can only go up to 30 mins. If you want more time, they have a different model which goes up to 8hrs, or even 12hrs. However, the time range will also change. For example, on their 8hr switch, your options are 1,2,4, or 8 hrs. So if you sometimes want 10 minutes, or sometimes 2 hrs, you can't do that with the Woods. - The style of the buttons look a lot better than the Woods. The Woods has one small button (too small in my opinion). In my personal opinion, for a wall switch you want the button to be big and easy to locate, especially if it's used often. The GE has 7 buttons. While it may seem a lot, however it is designed to be more practical, intuitive, and easier to use. On the Woods, you have to press the one small button a certain number of times to "set" the time you want to use. This is kind of a pain, and without instructions it may take a bit of time to figure it out. On the GE, you can press just once any of the clearly labeled 6 time buttons or press the big button, which will use your "last used/saved" time settings. There is no need to really "set" the time. It's all one press of a button. Easy and simple to use. This is important for my use since one of the timers I bought is for a guest bathroom, I don't want guests to have to try to "figure out" how to use the timer switch to select a desired time. - The style and color of the indicator lights look cleaner, more subtle, and modern. The Woods uses 5 lights that look a bit out of style. The GE uses very subtle LED blue lights on all 7 buttons, and each one only blinks momentarily when you press it to turn on. - They don't print their logos on the switch or the face plates. The Woods have their logos below the switch, which I really did not like. It looks like an added distraction on the wall. From the pictures, the logo is not very subtle, which sort of ruins the clean look of all my other switches on the wall. For those who like to have a clean, minimalist look, the logo may bother you. - The GE timer includes a face plate. I'm not sure if Woods includes one, but from the pictures it doesn't look like it includes one. I couldn't use it for my installation because I have 2 switches next to each other. However, the extra plate can come in handy whenever one needs to be replaced in the house. The only downsides (that I can think of) about this product compare to Woods and any other similar timer switches available in the market are: 1. This one does cost a little more. Compare to Woods (depending on model) and some other brands, price difference range from $3-7 dollars more. However, in my opinion, the few dollars you pay is worth it for the reasons above. 2. The maximum time is 4 hrs. If you need more time, then I would suggest going with Woods (like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Woods-59007-Decora-30-15-10-5-30-Minute/dp/B002KS1DBU/ref=pd_sim_60_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FJHTTBV5NCTJ3RESSJ2) or some other brands. Installation: These are very easy to install. With main power turned off, you just remove an existing switch (if you are replacing one), and use the included wire connectors to twist and tie 3 wires (Black(hot) to black, Red(hot) to the other black, and Green (earth ground) to Green). When powering back up, just wait for about a minute while the timer charges (I think it probably has a capacitor inside that discharges). Once charged, it will first turn ON automatically. From then on, it's pretty much straightforward to use. All buttons are like toggle switches. Use the labeled time buttons to turn on and run for the selected amount of time, or use the big button to turn on using the "last used" time settings. Press again to manually turn off. Overall, I'm very satisfied with my purchase. The timer was easy to install and it's very easy to use. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a simple timer switch, especially for a bathroom fan!

With this switch, you have to make sure that the hot wire is to the switch. The switch needs constant power to function properly.

Was a breeze to setup, still working a year later and looks great. I always trust GE to make a good product.

Al principio me preocupo por que no funcionaba pero realmente fue mi culpa en la instalación, pero funciona excelenre,muy útil.

Muy bueno sólo mencionar que la conección a tierra funciona mejor al neutro, es mas estable.

Product worked as advertised and is easy for anyone to install with written instructions (watching a YouTube video always helps too). We used it for a bathroom exhaust fan. It is nice having the options for different timers. Do note that if you want the fan on indefinitely, press and hold the big button for 5 seconds. This is not apparently clear on instructions or product advertisement on amazon. Pressing the large button turns on the last “timed” setting, unless you press and hold it for 5 seconds. Otherwise the timer functions great, looks fine, installs easy, and provides lots of options for timed settings that we find convenient.

As most reviewers have reported, installation is a breeze. The no neutral wire requirement was essential for my install. There's ample room for unit to fit next to the light socket/switch. My only complaint is that light does not stay on for the time selected, it only flashes briefly when initially selected. Also the longer times are not really practical, better to have smaller incremental times (under 1 hour).